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Prince Charles is expressing sympathy for the nerves his grandson, Prince George, visibly showed on his first day of school.

The 4-year-old heir to the British throne appeared uneasy Thursday as he walked onto the grounds of his new school, tightly gripping his father’s hand. The little prince’s mother, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, missed the milestone because she is suffering from severe morning sickness.

Prince George heading to his first day at Thomas's Battersea school, accompanied Thursday by his dad, Prince William. AFP - Getty Images

Askedwhether he gave his oldest grandchild any advice ahead of the big day, Prince Charles gave a hearty laugh.

“Of course not!” he told ITV News. “He wouldn't take it from me, I don’t think, at that age.”

But the Prince of Wales did express sympathy for what the young boy experienced.

“Poor old thing. He’s been left there to have to get on with it, when the parents go away is always the problem,” he said. “It’s good for you in the end, I suppose. It’s character building, I suppose!”